St. John’s Edges Connecticut, 6-2, in BIG EAST Finale

Sunday, May 2

Storrs, CT

12 p.m.

St. John's University

10-19, 0

Connecticut

18-14, 0

St. John's

UConn

St. John’s Edges Connecticut, 6-2, in BIG EAST Finale

5/2/2021 2:49:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Red Storm takes Sunday contest behind home runs from Gretchen Bowie, Gabriella Conca

By: Kenny Conrade

STORRS, Conn. – The St. John's softball team took down Connecticut, 6-2, in its BIG EAST regular season finale in Storrs on Sunday afternoon behind home runs from Gretchen Bowie and Gabriella Conca.

The Red Storm (10-19, 7-14 BIG EAST) used eight hits, two of which were home runs, and a group effort from its pitching staff to salvage the final contest in the three-game weekend slate over the Huskies (18-14, 10-5 BIG EAST).

Kaitlin Mattera was the lone St. John's player with multiple hits on the day, as she went 2-3 with an RBI. Conca's home run, a three-run shot in the third inning, proved to be the difference, while Bowie's solo homer in the fifth provided some insurance. Marissa Rizzi went 1-2 with a walk and scored two runs on Sunday afternoon.

Kayla Kmett (5-5) got the start for the Red Storm and the senior went nearly five innings, surrendering two runs on seven hits. Angela Saric relieved her and pitched well, allowing just one hit, before Erin Brown entered with one out in the seventh and shut the door, retiring both UConn hitters that she faced.

The Red Storm bats came out strong in the first inning against UConn freshman starter Payton Kinney, as Rizzi led the game off with a single. The Johnnies first baseman then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before a sacrifice fly from Mattera gave the road team the 1-0 advantage after half an inning of play.

Kmett worked a scoreless home half of the first, retiring the top of the Huskies order behind two great defensive plays from Kalei Sorensen and Mattera. The Red Storm failed to score in the top of the second and with UConn threatening in the bottom of the inning, Kmett got a huge fly out with runners in scoring position to keep her team on top, 1-0.

The Red Storm got the big blow of the afternoon in the top of the third, as a walk by Rizzi and single from Mattera set up runners on the corners with two outs and Conca at the dish. She then delivered her third home run of the season to center field, a three-run shot, to put her team in control, 4-0.

The Huskies cut the Red Storm lead in half in the bottom of the third, as a leadoff home run followed by a few singles plated two runs to make it a 4-2 contest. UConn could have had more, as the bases were loaded with nobody out, but Kmett was able to retire three consecutive batters to keep the lead intact at 4-2 at the end of three.

After both teams went scoreless in the fourth, Bowie led off the fifth with her fifth home run of the season, a solo shot to right center, to extend the lead to 5-2. The round-tripper was Bowie's 40^th in her career, just four shy of the all-time program record of 43 held by Krystal Puga and Erin Burner. Mattera followed up the home run with a double of her own and pinch-runner Natalie Alheidt came home to score on a sacrifice fly from Sorensen, bringing the score to 6-2.

The Huskies would threaten in the bottom of the fifth, chasing Kmett from the game with the bases loaded and two outs, but Saric would come on and get a groundout to Amelia Ditolvo to keep the lead intact at 6-2.

After the Red Storm bats were retired in order in the top of the sixth, UConn would threaten with a leadoff double before Saric was able to set down three in a row to keep the Huskies at bay.

After a leadoff walk by Bowie was erased on a caught stealing, the Johnnies needed three outs to grab the victory and snap a six-game skid. The Red Storm junior got the first hitter of the inning to groundout before allowing two to reach base. With runners on first and second, Brown entered for the Red Storm and forced a popout and groundout to earn her team the 6-2 victory.

The Red Storm has just three games remaining in the regular season as it will welcome Stony Brook to Queens for a single game on Tuesday at 3 p.m. The Johnnies will then close out 2021 with a doubleheader at Delaware next Saturday.